Seen Anew
by Chemical-Rayne
Summary: What happens when Hinata catches the boy of her dreams kissing a certain pink-haired kunoichi farewell before a long mission? A pep talk from a well-loved teammate, is what! KibaxHina, suggestions of NaruxSaku and ShikaxIno. Three-shot. Minor language.
1. Chapter 1

AN: Hello lovelies! It is time once again for another story involving my fabulous friends from Konoha. I have not yet written a story for these two, so let us see where this leads. I only expect this story to be about three chapters long, so the wait won't be too long.

Remember to visit my other fun stories. ;)

~Kara

Chapter One

Hinata

I watched as he pecked her on the lips before departing and leaving for yet another mission. I watched as she swayed slightly on her feet. I watched as he continued to shout and proclaim his love for her as he walked away backward, if only to keep her in his sight for a little longer.

I ran away as I told myself he would never want me for the millionth time.

"Hinata."

I looked up to see Kiba standing in front of me. His form was obscured by my tears. I hastily wiped my eyes so he wouldn't worry about why I was crying.

"Oh, K-K-Kiba!" I stuttered, a hiccup following my butchered words.

"Hey, why are you crying?"

I quickly tried to come up with an excuse that wouldn't let him know the real reason. I hated lying to him, but I couldn't bring myself to admit how pathetic I was acting after catching Naruto with Sakura. Just the thought brought fresh tears to my eyes, but I used all of my will-power to hold them back.

"Ah, well, I was, um, just watching a sad movie." I cringed. That sounded like a terrible excuse, even to me.

Kiba closed his eyes and lowered his head. He looked like he was exasperated. Well, it wasn't as if this same situation hadn't happened before.

"You're going to have to come up with a list of better excuses, Hinata."

I blushed and gave the tiniest of smiles through my cascade of endless tears. "How did you find me?"

Kiba gave me a look that said I should know better. "This is where you always come whenever you're upset and Ino said that she saw you run off in a hurry about a half hour ago. She said you were on the verge of tears." He kneeled down so he was level with me as I sat in my hunched form. "Looks like she was right."

I gave a rueful smile. "You caught me." I looked up at my surroundings. "I don't even remember coming here, though."

I was in an old, abandoned park in a shrub-enclosed alcove next to a cracked fountain featuring a cherub with a bow. Kiba was right. This was a place where I would come whenever I was feeling overwhelmed. I couldn't remember exactly why this place was so important or when I had discovered it, but I would bet that Kiba remembered. He remembered everything.

"You probably came here instinctively. Not like it hasn't happened before." He moved to sit next to me and of course I let him. He was one of my closest friends. "Do you want to talk, or should I just sit here quietly with you?"

I looked at him and felt my tears drying. Kiba always knew the right thing to say. "Will you just…stay with me?" I searched his eyes for any sign that he was fed up with the way I was acting. I just didn't understand how he could be so patient with me when I acted like a cry-baby all the time. "I'll tell you everything later. I just c-can't th-th-think about it n-now." As I began to recall the day's previous events, my stuttering took hold and impaired my speech.

Kiba gave the kindest most understanding look I could ever imagine. "Sure thing, Hinata," he murmured, wrapping his arm around my shoulders and pulling me close. "Whatever you want."

We stayed like that for a long time, Kiba holding me while I cried about my unrequited love. How could I have been so stupid? Of course Naruto wouldn't love me the way I loved him. Not when Sakura was finally returning his own love. I felt so out of place pining after him, but I just couldn't help it! He was an amazing person.

I sighed as I thought about Naruto, and Kiba rested his cheek on the top of my head, drawing circles on the back of my jacket with his index finger.

Even though everyone else in the village criticized him so easily, I saw past all of the traits they found so repugnant. So what if the nine-tailed fox was sealed within him? He saved our village from more destruction by caging the demon within in him. And even though he wasn't as book smart as other shinobi, he was a fantastic ninja. He was strong and quick-witted in battle. Everyone else saw his crazy antics as immaturity and idiocy, but what I saw was a lonely, sad boy craving attention from someone, anyone just so he could feel like human being.

I kicked myself mentally for not showing him more kindness as a child. He didn't have any friends or family, so no one could be there for him to teach him, love him, laugh with him, or just _be_ with him. I wished I could be less timid and shy. I wanted to be more like Sakura, someone extremely outspoken and full of personality. Because he loved her. Maybe if I had been more like her, he would have loved me too, and that could have been me kissing him goodbye in town earlier.

I sucked in a shaky breath as I thought about how useless I was. Not only was I quiet and insignificant to Naruto, but those thoughts reminded me of how little I felt I contributed to my team. I wasn't sure how Kiba and Shino put up with me. I mean, even _I_ was sick of me. So pathetic and weak. Neji had been helping to train me more lately, but I felt like he was growing impatient with how slowly I was making progress.

There were no more tears in my eyes, all of them having dried in crusty trails on my cheeks. I wasn't sad and weepy anymore, just useless and hollow.

Kiba seemed to notice my change and turned me by the shoulders to face him. "Hey, enough with the mopey face. You stopped crying so that should be a good thing."

I looked up at him with empty eyes. Did he know how badly I thought of myself? "Why?" I asked quietly.

"Why what?"

"Why do you put up with me?" I asked louder, looking at him with urgency in my eyes.

He looked as confused as I had ever seen him. "What's that supposed to mean?"

I just stared at him, hoping I wouldn't break into a fresh round of tears.

He sighed heavily and ran a hand through his thick, dark hair. The spiky ends retained their mussed shape. "Listen, Hinata, if this is you feeling like your not contributing to the team again, I don't want to hear it."

I raised my eyebrows in surprise. Was I really that predictable? Or was it that Kiba just knew me better than anyone else in the world? "B-but I, I mean, I d-don't do anyth-th-thing."

He rolled his eyes and stood up. "Hinata, we are not having this talk again. Remember what I said last time?"

I blushed in remembrance that we had had this conversation before. "You said that even though I wasn't as strong in some areas that I was exceptionally good at other techniques."

"Yes," Kiba replied, nodding in agreement with his previous statement. "How many times have we needed you to use your Byakugan to help us locate something or someone?"

I let out a breath and looked at my hands. "A lot."

"Yep, and how many times did you whoop my ass in training using your gentle fist technique?"

I looked up at him and smiled faintly. "Several."

"Yeah, how about a crap ton? And how many other girls can stay calm when Shino's insects start crawling on their faces?"

I laughed at that one and grinned at Kiba. "I'm the only one."

"Uh-huh," he answered, as if this should have been painfully obvious. He reached a hand down to me and gave me his roguish grin. Seeing him smile always cheered me up. "Now how about I take you out for something good to eat?"

I took his hand and he pulled me up on my feet. "Okay."

As we exited the small park, he continued to hold my hand. I didn't know where we were going or what would happen when we got there, but with Kiba, I knew everything would turn out okay. He took care of me and protected me. Maybe it was a good thing I saw Naruto and Sakura together and ran away.

So that way, Kiba could find me.

AN: Okay, chickadees! What did you think? Why aren't they together in canon yet? Jesus, Kishimoto, keep us hanging on or what? Anyway, tell me what you think because that's the only way I can get better!

A whole crapload of love,

~Kara


	2. Chapter 2

AN: I know it's been a long time. I can only hope that some of you still want to know how this story ends.

~Kara

Chapter Two

Hinata

I wiggled my toes and glanced at my toenails, trimmed and squared, gleaming with glossy white polish. I never knew the joy of getting a pedicure before. Being a kunoichi, I always figured that taking time for my appearance was something that was frowned upon. But now that I was looking at my scrubbed-to-perfection feet, I began to wonder why I hadn't tried this a long time ago.

Sakura and Ino sure seemed to know a lot about this beauty stuff. Although I had never been particularly ritualistic about any sort of beauty regime, I definitely wasn't against it, I just was way out of my depth. Sakura had taken me to a nail salon, treating me to a foot massage and pedicure, though she did have to rush out early due to a prior engagement.

I would have to remember to thank her later, seeing as how I was trying to build a bridge of friendship between us.

After that little incident in the park, I worked hard to put the past behind me and move on. Kiba was right, as usual. Sometimes, I thought it would be easier for me to just ignore my feelings for Naruto and learn to live without the idea of the orange-clad ninja cluttering up my mind. The truth was, I'd never actually tried to stop loving him before, but now was as good a time as any, right? Besides, who ends up with their first love anyway? I tried to ignore the fact that Sakura was Naruto's first love, but a pinprick of pain squeezed my heart all the same.

To really try and cement this newfound decision, I had decided to spend more time with the pink-haired kunoichi in question. Because if she and I were close friends, then maybe I wouldn't feel so heartbroken over the fact that she had the full attention of Naruto Uzumaki, and I did not.

Well, it was worth a try, anyway.

"Hey, sorry I'm late."

I looked up, and all my worries seemed to fade. A slow smile crept over my face, and my heart gave an excited thump. Kiba stood in front of me, hands on his knees, obviously winded. Did he run all the way over here? His cheeks were slightly red and his hood fell back to reveal his disheveled hair.

He caught me looking at him and smirked, putting his hands behind his head, radiating an air of macho bravado. "If you see something you like, I'm sure we can arrange a trade."

I felt my face grow hot at his insinuation and playfully swatted his arm. "Kiba! I'm so embarrassed!" My hands flew to my face, trying to hide the color I felt staining my cheeks.

The smile suddenly faltered and reappeared so quickly, I thought I might have imagined it. Did I say the wrong thing? Was he upset? However, the expression was so fleeting that maybe I had imagined it after all. He turned his face away from me and ran a hand through his dark, messy hair. "Yeah, well, someday a girl just might take me up on my offer."

I stumbled over a protruding rock, barely managing to catch myself before falling. "W-what?"

He looked back at me, noticing the surprise on my face. His expression softened. "Never mind. Let's go get something to eat."

I nodded, looking down at my toes again. The white polish had smudged, and now there were bits of dirt embedded in the fresh coating. Disappointment clawed at my chest, but I wasn't so sure that the ruined pedicure was the entire cause.

Kiba didn't seem to notice my sudden lack of words, and if he did, he made no attempt to acknowledge it. Instead he turned toward Ichiraku, and I followed him inside as we sat on two stools at the counter. The smell of ramen permeated the air, and suddenly the awkward incident was all but forgotten. I smiled at the low chatter of the other customers. This place had grown very popular in recent years.

Kiba and I both ordered, and it wasn't long before we started up a conversation, both of us talking animatedly as he teased me, and I responded by laughing whole-heartedly for the first time in recent memory. We were both having a good time as the ramen was placed in front of us. We took a break in conversation as Kiba dove into his food like he hadn't eaten in days. I couldn't help but smile. Teenaged boys all seemed to have such an unending appetite. As our own voices became subdued, however, my thoughts were interrupted as I heard a familiar raucous laughter on the other side of the restaurant.

Naruto's bright spiky hair was visible several seats down from Kiba. My heart sank. I knew that he had gotten back from his mission, and I had purposefully been avoiding him and all of the places he visited frequently in the hopes of eliminating my feelings for him. How had I forgotten that when I came into Ichiraku with Kiba? My plan of keeping out of close contact with the blonde shinobi seemed to shatter like glass as soon as he spotted me glancing at him. He smiled and began to walk over.

Kiba had been slurping his noodles happily, enjoying my company as he wolfed down his food, and I picked at mine. He seemed to realize, though, when I stopped touching the bowl altogether. He paused between the bites he was shoveling into his mouth and looked at me in earnest.

"Hinata?" he asked, swallowing his food. "What's wro—"

"Hey, Hinata!" Naruto chirped loudly, efficiently silencing Kiba's words.

At hearing the blonde ninja's voice, Kiba froze, every surviving bit of carefree happiness evaporating in one fell swoop. I could almost hear his teeth clench, jaw twitching with the effort.

"I haven't seen you in a while," Naruto continued, an enthusiastic smile enveloping his face. "How've you been?" For once I noticed how oblivious he seemed to be to social cues. The silence between me and Kiba was almost palpable, thick and full of churning emotions. I wished that Naruto would go away, if only to make things less uncomfortable between me and Kiba.

I took a deep breath. "I'm f-fine, Naruto," I managed to say, my stuttering at an all-time minimum. I smiled inwardly at the control I was displaying.

Before Naruto could ask me a question and the tension around us became any more unbearable, a head of pink hair popped up behind the blonde ninja, her face bright with recognition. "Oh, Hinata, you're here!" she exclaimed with a giggle. "I was wondering where this knucklehead had wandered off to!" Though her smile was good-natured, I could sense the malice in her words.

Naruto seemed to recognize the tone, too, knowing it was directed at him, because his smile froze and his eyes became panicked. "Oh, hey, Sakura," he smiled sheepishly. "I didn't see you there."

Sakura's forced smile twisted into a grimace. "Naruto, you asked me to meet you here for dinner, you idiot!" she growled, her hands finding a resting place on her hips. "We were just eating together two minutes ago."

So that was why Sakura had left the pedicure spa early. The thought didn't bother me as much as I thought it would.

"Heh, heh," Naruto laughed anxiously, rubbing the back of his head.

I smiled uncomfortably, wishing they would both go away as I was somewhat forgotten anyway. My gaze locked with Kiba's for a moment, and I realized they hadn't yet noticed he was with me. Something about the look on my face must have triggered something inside of him, because a mischievous twinkle caught his eye, and he winked at me. I tried to suppress a surprised giggle, biting my lip, wondering how Kiba would react to this situation.

And for a moment, I was completely stunned. When had I ever been so eager to rid myself of Naruto's presence in any situation? When had I developed the ability to not cry when faced with the sight of him and Sakura together? And most of all, when on earth had I been excited for one of Kiba's scheming plots? I suddenly found myself enraptured by my dark-haired teammate.

When had he made me so strong?

"Well, look who it is?" Kiba began, his voice full of false enthusiasm, the most comical smile on his face as he turned to face Naruto.

Suddenly, I couldn't look away from him. Everything about him was all at once completely beguiling, so full of wonder, and I felt the urgent need to know more. He was an enigma to me, and everything from his unruly hair to his loaded questions, to the fact the Akamaru had been absent every time we'd been together lately had made me question everything about our friendship. Not in a way that meant we were growing apart, but in a way that hinted at something between the lines. My heart was hammering heavily against my chest, and I worried he might hear it.

He caught me staring and winked again.

My eyes went wide, and I felt my hands move to my face, trying to hide the blush that I knew was warming my cheeks. My toes curled in my shoes, and I looked down at my spoiled pedicure, trying to catch my breath.

What…

What was _that_?

I braved a peek at the others, trying to watch them through the cracks between my fingers.

"Oh, hey, Kiba!" Naruto replied.

My eyes suddenly snapped over to the orange-clad boy, confusion furrowing my eyebrows. Had it really been only a moment since Kiba had greeted him? It had felt like a lifetime that I had sat there watching Kiba, acting as if the world would implode if I didn't.

"So…" Kiba began, his expression disguised with a mask of innocence. "Are you guys on a _date_ or something?"

Naruto and Sakura both immediately seized up and went quiet, their faces turning pink as they tried to look anywhere but at Kiba or each other. Clearly they were both still getting used to the idea of themselves as a public couple. I could understand that. My own feelings for Naruto had felt so private and precious, like they would fracture or shatter if I let anybody look at them too closely. Sympathy washed through me for the pair, but oddly, the dull ache that had replaced the searing pain I used to feel at the thought of them together was not present. I put a trembling hand to my chest, curious to see if it would still beat the same way even if it didn't seem to be actively breaking.

A soft double-thump rhythm was my reply. My eyes grew wide with wonder.

Neither Naruto nor Sakura ended up offering an answer to Kiba's question, and Kiba's smile spread over his face.

"Wow, you guys, that's so exciting!" The glee in his voice was enough to make me cover my mouth to keep a giggle from slipping through. "Good luck!" Kiba gave Naruto a hard slap on the shoulder. "I'm rooting for you, two! And don't worry, I'll be right here watching _everything_, so I won't let you guys do anything stupid." His eyes lit up. "Just wait until everyone hears about this!"

Sakura's face went slack, and I could almost swear that the temperature in the room had dropped. An eerie tension unlike the one before filled the small area, and I tried to make myself as small as possible as I sat on my seat.

Naruto glanced at her with worry, rubbing the shoulder that Kiba had smacked. "Uh, Sakura?"

Suddenly, her head snapped up, and a look of fiery determination filled her eyes. She grabbed Naruto by the arm and dragged him out of Ichiraku. "Come on, Naruto, let's find somewhere more…private to have dinner tonight."

Naruto struggled a bit, looking at the counter and his ramen longingly, but soon gave up against Sakura's superior will, letting her drag him away from our prying eyes and Kiba's questioning respect for privacy. I watched with wide eyes, my gaping mouth covered by my hands as the dust finally settled in their wake.

The small building was extremely quiet for a moment.

And then Kiba was laughing, a sound somewhere between a wild, howling wind and the explosion of thunder as lightning strikes the ground. It was such a natural sound, something that I felt should always be there, but in a way it was also awe-inspiring, a rush of endorphins flooding my blood as though I was gazing at one of the earth's great majesties.

Then I was laughing, too, joining in his joy, relishing the feel of the unrestrained sound escaping my lips and the vibrations tickling my stomach. I was so _happy_! Kiba had driven them out of here just for me. There was no doubting the glint in his eye when he had winked at me. He knew I was uncomfortable with them both there, and I never had to say a word. He knew my heart and mind so well, able to see right through to my soul and knowing what I wanted before I could even ask.

He had done that for _me_.

We both stood there laughing, gaining the stares of many confused passersby in the process. But we didn't care. Though my old instinct would have told me to try and quiet Kiba, I just couldn't let that part of myself interrupt this one perfect moment. There was something so raw and liberating about laughing that way, as though the world can't touch you for a moment as you partake in the bliss of pure freedom. And even though it seemed this joy was based in the embarrassment of others, it couldn't be farther from the truth. Because as Kiba and I peeked at each other with tear-filled eyes, both nearly crying from the peals of laughter wracking our bodies, I knew that we were just celebrating that fact that we could communicate without speaking, could understand each other's hearts without having to say a word, and just being alone in one another's company.

Because really, right at that instant, that was the only place in the world that I wanted to be, the place I felt I had always belonged, even when I didn't know it.

Right at Kiba's side.

AN: Okay, guys! I hope you enjoyed this update I FINALLY put up! :P I wanted to deal with more of the changes in Hinata's heart when she realizes that she is strong enough to move on from Naruto. I also wanted to explore how her feelings are slowly starting to change for Kiba, as well, how love can be just a gradual thing, too.

Anyway, tell me what you think!

~Kara


	3. Chapter 3

AN: And we've reached the end of this short, sweet little tale. I hope you enjoyed the story and feel free to look at my other stories, as well!

~Kara

Chapter 3

Kiba

Just when had she gotten so damn beautiful? Had her hair always been so shiny and soft? Had her eyes always held so much depth, like she could look into my soul and see the truth I kept inside? Was her embarrassment always that cute, the pink in her cheeks always so adorable? Or was it all in my head because now I was pretty sure I was in love with her?

Someone shoved me, and I fell from the realm of my thoughts so suddenly that I gasped.

"What the hell, Kiba?"

I looked around, my eyes wide and still confused, disoriented from the shove. "What?"

Naruto Uzumaki, Shikamaru Nara, Chouji Akimichi, and Shino Aburame all stared back at me, looking at me like I had grown another head. Naruto was the one who had spoken, eyebrow raised and arms crossed in a way that told me I had some explaining to do.

"You heard me," he said, tone disapproving.

The others looked to be in agreement.

"What the hell, what?" I honestly had no idea what they were talking about. Apparently the whole time they had been in conversation, I had been daydreaming about one Hinata Hyuga. I could picture her right now, smiling at me like I was the sunshine during dinner at Ichiraku a few nights ago…

I got shoved once more. "There you go again," Naruto's voice reprimanded behind me. "You just tune us out and start day dreaming."

"Dude, not cool," Chouji told me through a mouthful of barbecue potato chips.

Shikamaru stepped forward. "What's so important that you find us so troublesome?"

Jeez, why did they all have their panties in a bunch? Seriously, what was so important that when I didn't pay attention, they got all bent out of shape? As if they all have a perfect record for staying in the present. Every single one of them was known for getting lost in their own daydreams. Naruto's were usually about being Hokage or Sakura. Shikamaru's were either about sleeping or his secret thing for Ino. Chouji usually thought about food twenty-four seven. Even Shino got bored with everyone else and became lost in his own thoughts, though what they were about, I couldn't possibly say.

The hypocrites.

Suddenly, Naruto got the biggest shit-eating grin I had ever seen. Great. Now what was going on in that demented little brain of his?

"You were thinking about Hinata, weren't you?" he asked, poking me. "Admit it."

Oh.

One by one, they each started to adopt that same, stupid smile. Well, everyone except Shino, but that was a given. The expression was surprisingly creepy, especially coming from three different guys. My skin began to crawl, and I backed away from them.

"No way!" I exclaimed defensively.

But their grins only got wider.

"No wonder you're slobbering all over yourself like a dog," Shikamaru commented snidely.

I growled. "Like you're one to talk. Whenever you see Ino, you act like Christmas just came early."

Shikamaru's expression turned sour, and he quickly shut his mouth.

"Oh, he got you good, Shikamaru!" Naruto laughed in that obnoxious way of his, pointing at the pineapple-haired ninja and hopping from foot to foot.

"Shut up, Naruto. Like you're any better."

He stuck his tongue out at Shikamaru. "I don't know what you're talking about, because Sakura and I are happy and in love."

Shikamaru scoffed. "Yeah, right. I bet she just feels sorry for you. How pathetic."

Naruto's face turned red, and suddenly the two were going back and forth about the relationships they had with their female teammates, while Chouji stood laughing at them and Shino stood watching impassively. I was dumbfounded. Had the issue with me just been forgotten completely?

And I thought _I_ got riled up easily.

Suddenly, Naruto and Shikamaru had gone silent, though they continued to stand there glaring each other. Apparently some kind of agreement had been made. They both turned to me, Naruto smiling once again, and Shikamaru with a determined look in his eye, and I knew that I was going to regret whatever was about to be said.

"What? Why are you looking at me like that?" I asked suspiciously, afraid of the answer.

"Since I'm the only one of us that's got a girlfriend," Naruto began smugly, "and you two are both pansies, we're going to see who's man enough to admit his feelings to the girl they like."

Well, shit. Shikamaru didn't look too happy about these conditions, either.

Naruto continued. "If you don't, Chouji, Shino, and I get to make fun of you for being a coward."

I rolled my eyes. "So, what? You guys do that anyway."

Naruto's eyes held a wicked gleam, and I felt the hairs on the back of my neck stand up. "I almost forgot to mention, you guys have twenty-four hours to admit your feelings, or otherwise I get to tell them for you in _whatever_ way I choose."

My mouth fell open. "What? That's bullshit! Why do you get to decide when I'm supposed to confess?" Why was Shikamaru just standing their glaring? Why didn't he do something about it?

"Weren't you paying attention when Shikamaru and I were yelling?" Naruto asked, looking at me like I was stupid.

Ha! That would be the pot calling the kettle black. But I didn't dare say so when Naruto had the upper hand here.

He grumbled impatiently, and Shikamaru stepped in. "I bet Naruto that we would admit our feelings to the girls in the next twenty-four hours. The terms were that if we didn't, Naruto got bragging rights and that he would be the one to tell her whenever and wherever he pleased."

Why was I involved in this? Those assholes. "What about if we do admit our feelings?" I asked.

And that was when a sinister smile split Shikamaru's face, one so frightening that I actually cowered away from him. "If we win, Naruto has to walk up to Sakura, and shout that he's in love with her so the whole world can hear."

_That_ was his punishment? That was so _stupid_! "Everyone already knows that!" I argued. "No one cares."

Shikamaru still had that look on his face, and the fear renewed inside of me. "Naked," he finally said.

Oh. Well, that changed things.

* * *

><p>We all finally dismissed ourselves, saying that the bet ended at nine in the morning tomorrow. I had my mission set out before me: either tell Hinata how I felt before the deadline, or Naruto of all people would do so for me at whatever time or situation he chose. And there was no way in hell I was going to leave it up that moron.<p>

There was only one thing to do, now. I would find a way to tell Hinata about my feelings in a way that she would hopefully not freak out about.

Because I knew my Hinata, and if there was one thing she would freak out about, it would probably be her best friend telling her that he loves her.

Oh, God.

I tried to stop thinking about what her reaction would be like, but that was near impossible, so I tried to distract myself from the image by thinking about Shikamaru's task instead.

He might've had it worse off than me, knowing Ino's tendency toward anger and violence. Well, that was one silver lining to this whole ordeal, the thought of that hilarious confrontation. I wished I could be there to watch that situation take place. I could hold that over him forever.

As if my thoughts had manifested in the real world, I caught sight of Shikamaru entering the Yamanaka flower shop. Wait. Was he doing this _now_? A few minutes later, he emerged with a bouquet of purple irises. Oh, he was good. He was going to get this out of the way now, before he lost his nerve.

And I was going to watch it blow up in his face.

He walked through town, toward the park by the field. I followed him sneakily. Though, knowing Shikamaru, he knew I'd been following him before I even spotted him going into the flower shop. As we neared the park, I noticed Sakura and Ino sitting in the swings, gossiping and laughing together like the good friends they were. That wasn't the most surprising part, though.

Hinata stood in front of them, smiling along with them, her face lit up like she was the sun itself.

Shit.

Shikamaru was still walking swiftly onward, his trajectory clearly aimed at Ino. As the girls noticed his approach, they all fell silent one by one. Ino looked a bit annoyed at first, like she didn't appreciate being interrupted. This was going to get interesting. But as he neared even closer, she seemed to notice the purple bundle in his hands and the determined look on his face. Her expression changed to one of surprise, and suddenly I didn't know how this would turn out.

Shikamaru stopped once he stood directly in front of her. The other girls watched with wide, interested eyes. The air was completely silent. And I felt my own heart racing in anticipation of this moment.

He knelt down on one knee so he was looking up at Ino, his face still showing no sign of fear. Lifting up the bouquet of her favorite flowers, he opened his mouth to speak, and I noticed the sweat dewed on his forehead. So he was freaking out after all.

"Ino," he began, voice hard, I guessed to keep from breaking. "I love—"

She flew off the swing and tackled him to the ground and suddenly I was afraid she would kill him.

"—you?" he finished, seeming unsure of whether or not he was going to die right then.

He lay on the ground, Ino straddling his waist, looking down at him with fire in her eyes. "Well," she started, her voice full of irritation.

Poor Shikamaru.

"It's about goddamn time!" she finished, leaning down and kissing him right there, in the middle of everyone, for the whole world to see.

Oh, my God.

I heard clapping, and looked over to see Sakura applauding them, happy tears in her eyes as she watched the couple. And as I looked to see whether or not Hinata was watching them, I almost had a heart attack.

She was looking directly at me, a question in her glowing white eyes, her lips parted slightly like she was about to speak.

And then I was running so quickly away from the park that I could feel my legs burning with the effort, my breath coming in erratic spurts, leaving me wheezing as I finally neared my own house. I leaned over, hands on my knees, as I tried to find a normal rhythm again. Once I was sure that I wasn't in any more danger of passing out from oxygen deprivation, I thought back to what just happened.

And what a big, fat coward I was.

I'd left Hinata there looking after me. Who knew what she was going to say? But I knew what I was afraid it would be. What if she asked me if I was going to confess next? What if she told me not to?

What if she wanted me to?

Damn it!

She probably hated my guts right now. What if she was upset? Crying? How the hell was I going to try and confess something so personal, _now_?

* * *

><p>I spent the rest of the day degrading myself for being a coward, trying to talk myself into going back to find her and confess my own feelings, and then picturing her reaction afterward. Usually it wasn't a good one.<p>

By the time nightfall had arrived, I'd stood to leave the house and go do the deed. I was dreading it, but the thought of Naruto, the guy she'd loved since we were children, telling her for me was almost physically painful. No, I couldn't let him do that to her, especially if he did it in front of a lot of people. Hinata got so flustered around many people, so a confession from a previous flame about her best friend who apparently had feelings for her would not be an ideal situation.

I had to do this myself.

I took a deep breath and left my house, walking under the night sky toward the Hyuga estate. The moon shone down like a spotlight in the cloudless evening, the stars twinkling and winking like they were in on my secret, as well. The air was slightly chilled, but I could hardly feel it for the distraction of the nerves eating away at my stomach.

The streets were oddly quiet, and I was thankful for that under these circumstances. Usually it would be a little creepy, but right now, the lack of others was a godsend.

I neared the home, walking toward the back of the building with building anxiety clawing at my stomach. What if she hated me and never wanted to see me again? Worse, what if she just laughed it off and pretended like nothing happened?

But what if she felt the same way?

I was directly under her window and decided to get her attention by throwing pebbles. Yes, it was pretty cliché, but I had no other brilliant ideas at the moment. Just standing there and breathing were difficult enough as it was.

The first pebble ricocheted off of the glass.

Nothing. My heart sank.

I tried another.

This, time a light switched on, but no other movement. I took a deep breath.

I threw the third pebble.

I could hear someone walking around, and suddenly, the window was opening.

Hinata's beautiful face peered down at me, her long dark hair swaying slightly in the breeze. Her eyes grew wide, her face pink. "Kiba?" she asked in quiet astonishment.

I couldn't speak for a moment, knowing what I was going to have to do.

I remembered that last time I had found her crying by the fountain, heartbroken once again because of that idiot Naruto. If he couldn't see what a wonderful girl she was, then he didn't deserve her at all. I'd cheered her up, and afterward, the look she gave me was agonizingly wonderful, like I was the only person in the world who would ever see a smile from her that was so grateful and rewarding.

I knew I liked her then. A _lot_.

But I realized I loved her a few days ago when we ate together at Ichiraku. The way she had handled herself so bravely in front of the boy she used to love, how she had been so flustered when I'd winked at her, face tomato red and small smile gracing her lips. The best part was when she joined in my laughter, sounding so carefree and released of her inhibitions.

The look she gave me at that moment would've made me think she felt the same way I did.

But I hadn't talked to her since, and now I was worried she might have developed some sort of negative feelings toward me.

As she stood there, now, looking down at me with anticipation, I felt my own face heat up, eyes wide with fear.

"Kiba?" she repeated. "Is everything alright?"

And at that moment, the concern in her voice gave me the strength I needed. If nothing else, it demonstrated that she still cared for me, at least as a friend, if nothing else.

"Hinata." I took a deep breath. "I need to tell you something."

She bit her lip, her eyes suddenly alight with an emotion I couldn't quite place. She put one hand over her chest, grasping at the material of her nightgown.

I took her silence as sign to continue. "Hinata, I'm…I'm in love with you."

Everything became still around us, as if the only things in existence were me and her. After those words were finally out, an unknown weight lifted from my chest, and my heart beat with vigor.

"I've loved you for a while, now," I continued. "And I had to tell you. Because if there's any chance that you feel the same way, I need to know."

I felt bare all of the sudden, transparent, as though she could see right through me.

Hinata's face froze. She didn't move, didn't make a sound. Before I could say anything else, she moved away from the window, leaving me alone in the cold night.

And I was utterly heartbroken. Not only had she rejected my feelings for her, this would probably affect our friendship as well. What would I do? Sure, I had completed my task from the guys, but how would they react when they found out that she had completely shut me down? Would they pity me, or make fun of me indefinitely?

How could I ever face Hinata again? I loved her so much, I could barely contain myself. How was I supposed to go on now that I knew how she felt? I clutched at my own chest, feeling the pain echo inside like someone was strangling my heart. This was the worst pain I'd ever experienced in my life.

I was so distracted by these thoughts, that I never even noticed the soft sound of footsteps approaching. Only when a small hand rested on my shoulder did I raise my head in surprise.

I turned around to find the woman I loved standing there, a blanket wrapped around her shoulders, an extra one held out to me by her other hand. I stared at her in surprise, watching as she giggled and wrapped the additional blanket around me when I didn't take it for myself.

"You'll catch your death out here," she said to me, adjusting the new layer against my chest. Her hands lingered there for a while.

I continued to stare at her silently, no words forming in my mind that I could possibly try to translate into a recognizable sentence.

Hinata's face turned pink at my lack of response, and a small smile touched her lips as she looked down at her feet.

"What you said surprised me," she whispered. "Only because I've never expected them from anyone, before. Not even…well, you know." Her face grew an even deeper shade of red, though I wasn't sure why. "So when I heard it coming from the person I trust most in this whole entire world," she looked up at me suddenly, her eyes full of wonder, "I thought I must've been delusional, for anybody to care about someone like me."

I didn't know if her words were supposed to make me feel better or not, but so far, I just felt stupid. What was she trying to do down here, anyway? Lessen the blow? Because right now, I was preparing myself for something even worse than her unresponsive silence.

Her blatant rejection.

She looked at me suddenly in surprise, and I realized that I was shaking. Her eyes filled with concern. "Kiba, did you mean what you said?" she asked, no fear or anger in her words.

I suddenly found my voice, hearing it chuckle sadly. "Hinata, do you even know how jealous I've been every time you mentioned Naruto's name?"

Her lips parted in shock.

I continued, suddenly feeling a little braver when she was close by. As though the lack of distance made the humiliation less. "I love everything about you, Hinata. How determined you are to be noticed by someone you care about. How brave you are for standing up to your enemies to save a friend. How kind you are when you give smiles to people who need them. How powerful you are when you're in the middle of a battle." There were so very many things, how could I possibly list them all?

Her eyes were wide open, frozen in astonishment at my blunt description of the way I saw her. She was so close, and she was looking at me with those eyes.

I continued quietly, "How beautiful you are when you smile at me like I'm the only person on earth who is watching."

Her eyes became wet, and tears began rolling down her cheeks.

I sighed. "I guess I'm not the person you wanted to hear all that from, though, right?" I gave her a quick smile before turning and stepping toward the street to make my way home in heartbroken silence.

Before I could get too far, however, I felt her hand on my shoulder again, pulling me to a stop and trying to get me to face her. I looked down at her wet face with sadness, but before I could say anything, she spoke.

"Kiba," she said softly through her tears, an incredulous smile on her face, "you're the _only_ person I want to hear that from."

And then she kissed me.

* * *

><p>The next morning, we all met at the same spot as the previous day, all ready to reap the benefits of our courage. We all brought our female counterparts, partly as evidence, partly because they wanted to come and see what all the commotion was about.<p>

I'd told Hinata about the bet, but luckily she hadn't been upset. Actually, she was thrilled that it gave me the courage to confess myself. I guessed that Ino felt the same way, as she and Shikamaru had arrived hand in hand, both smiling goofily at each other. I couldn't blame them, though. Hinata and I probably had the exact same expressions on our faces.

Naruto and Sakura were the last to arrive. He seemed to understand the implications of the girls being there, because he looked panicked as he met up with us.

"So, looks like it's time to pay up," I commented, trying to hide my laughter.

Shikamaru also wore a smug smile.

"Pay what up?" Sakura asked. "What is he talking about? And why am I here?" She sounded a bit irritated, and it seemed as if Naruto had neglected to explain the bet to his girlfriend.

So imagine her surprise when he stripped down to his birthday suit and shouted that he was in love with her?

That kick must have hurt without any clothing in the way.

I wasn't focused so much on him, though, as I was on Hinata, her face turning crimson as she averted her eyes, catching my gaze in the process. And then everything slowed down, and we were the only two people in the world. She smiled at me, squeezing my hand, and I put my arm around her.

As she settled against my side, nuzzling my shoulder softly, and I couldn't think of a better way to begin my day than with the girl I loved right beside me.

END

AN: Well, we've reached the end of this tale! I hope it was satisfactory in the end! Thanks for reading!

~Kara


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